Three Sleeping Princesses
by mysticalflute
Summary: Snow is used to being in the Netherworld when she has nightmares. The last person she expects to find there is Belle.


She was back in the room of fire. She'd just wanted to take a nap after the mommy and me class, but now she had to deal with the room of her nightmares… and for once, it was without Charming by her side.

She knew how to control the flames. Of course she did. But she'd never dealt with this without Charming.

Taking a deep breath that rattled deep in her chest, Snow focused on trying to quell the flames that were whipping around her, trying to think of what it was Charming would always say when she was having the terrible nightmares. Trying to remember when he too was sent here when she had been in the Enchanted Forest and he had been in Storybrooke.

"He'll be home soon," she whispered to herself. "He will always find me, as I will always find him…"

The flames began to ebb slowly as they used to, and slowly, Snow's little piece of the room became calm. Or, as calm as a room of fire could be.

Still, she was shaking.

"God… this is going to be the worst separation we've been through. Charming literally in the Underworld and me dealing with Arthur…" she said to herself, gasping as the flames jumped back toward her. "Okay okay! He'll find me. We'll be reunited again."

The flames died down again.

"Snow?"

She looked over and smiled weakly at Aurora. "Aurora. Naptime after class too?" she asked.

"Yes. Phillip took Phillip Junior out while I rested. Who's watching Neal?" the other princess asked.

"Oh… Neal's asleep. I try to sleep whenever he does," Snow explained. "Especially now that Charming's… away for an undetermined period of time."

Aurora frowned and nodded. "Of course Snow. Are you doing okay? I know what you say in public, but you're back here so…"

Snow smiled weakly. "I'm doing the best I – "

A scream interrupted her, and both princesses turned, eyes wide at the sound.

"HELP ME! HELP ME PLEASE!"

Snow felt the color drain from her face as the voice clicked as she looked over at Aurora, who looked as pale as she did.

It was Belle.

"BELLE! BELLE WHERE ARE YOU?!" Snow shouted into the flames, which were beginning to lick around the room once again.

"I – I'M OVER HERE! Snow, is that you?!"

Snow struggled to see exactly where the other woman was – she only had one shot to get it right and she needed to help Belle with this. The first time in this place was never a pleasant experience. Snow had been alone, without anyone to help her. She hadn't wanted anyone else to suffer the same fate.

"There!" Aurora said, pointing across the room, where Snow could only just make out the smaller brunette's form.

"Come on. Let's go help her," Snow said. Aurora nodded and the duo grabbed hands and jumped over to the flames that concealed the other woman.

"W-what is this place?" Belle asked, her voice shaky.

"It's… it's the Netherworld. It's where you go when you're – " Snow paused, horrified as she stared at the brunette.

" – under a sleeping curse or if you have a nightmare after you've awoken from one," Aurora finished, in a tone that sounded just as horrified as Snow felt.

"What happened? Who did this to you?" Snow asked. Because whoever would hurt Belle – an innocent woman who hadn't come on the damned adventure to the Underworld was seriously going to pay.

"No – no it's okay. I can tell what you're thinking. It's not what you think. I did it to myself."

Aurora and Snow recoiled in horror. The thought that someone would willingly put themselves under a sleeping curse floored Snow. She put herself under one, she supposed, but it was to protect Charming against Regina.

"Belle… what happened?" Aurora finally asked.

The brunette looked shaken. "It's… it's Rumplestiltskin. He signed an agreement to sell his second-born child in order to save his firstborn… and… I just found out that I'm pregnant. I didn't want him to use dark magic to protect our child so… I put myself under the sleeping curse to protect the baby. If he hadn't gone to the Underworld it would all be okay."

"Boy isn't that the truth," Snow said under her breath. "Belle… I'm so sorry."

"It isn't your fault Snow. I imagine you and Charming weren't thrilled to go to the Underworld either."

She could only nod. "And now Charming is there while I'm back in Storybrooke and it just seems like everything is falling apart. I might never see Charming or Emma or Henry again. And she got the idea all because of what I did to save Charming's life to get us all back to Storybrooke. Emma found out how we did it and now… she wants to do the same with Hook."

Aurora and Belle looked troubled. It was horrible. She should have just convinced Emma not to go. That the Underworld was different. That the situation was different.

Wasn't it?

"I just feel like this is mine and Charming's fault."

"No. We all made our own decisions. All of us were desperate women who did things we thought was best… and now we all have to live with what happens next," Belle said with a sigh. "No matter what that might be."

Snow shivered and nodded. "You'll wake up. I know it. Rumplestiltskin will find a way to wake you up." Rumplestiltskin was her husband after all… surely they were true love.

"No. I asked him to find my father and have him do it."

Snow had reservations about Belle's father being able to break her curse after what Charming told her he did after the curse broke, but she wasn't going to say anything.

"Oh – I'm waking up!" Aurora suddenly said. Snow turned to find the blonde beginning to fade away.

"Is that normal?" Belle asked with wide eyes.

"Yes. When you wake up that's what happens," Snow confirmed with a nod as Aurora vanished. "Belle… I want you to know that there's a way to protect yourself against the flames. It's difficult but it'll protect you until you wake up."

"What is it?"

"It's focus. Focus on love, focus on your belief, on your baby, of your father, Rumplestiltskin… it's hard to know that people are fighting for you but they are. I promise."

Belle nodded slowly, and the flames, which had been licking dangerously at the duo, backed away slowly.

"I wish I'd known that when I was put under the curse…" Snow said softly. "But I'm glad someone will be in this room and not have to fear their death. I'm just sorry that it's you, Belle."

Belle took her hands, and Snow only just realized that she was beginning to wake up. "It's okay. I'll be okay. And I know we'll all be a family again soon. Thank you for helping me Snow."

Snow nodded as she faded into the inky blackness again. "You're welcome Belle."

And, two weeks later, when she found herself locked in a cage with Charming, Robin Hood, Zelena and a revived Hook, she knew what she had to do when Mr. Hyde confronted them about Rumplestiltskin.

"Tell me. What is the Dark One planning?!" Hyde shouted as he held Hook by the neck.

"We don't know what he's planning," Snow lied, stepping next to Hook. "We don't work for him, and I doubt he _wants_ us to work for him. We told you, we were in our town and we encountered an open portal. When Zelena tried to close it, it sucked us through instead. We just want to go home. Nothing more, nothing less."

Hyde looked at her and raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Well well… the tales I've heard about you, Snow White."

Snow glared, unfazed.

"Very well. I believe that you have nothing to do with the Dark One. After all, after the hell you went through… why would you care about him?" Hyde questioned, before letting Hook go and walking out of the room.

Snow exhaled, shaky as she sank to the ground. She didn't know if Belle was awake yet, but putting her at risk was the last thing she'd wanted to do. Even if it meant Hyde was now more interested in her.

She just hoped, if Belle was awake, she was out of harm's way. This man, whoever he was, was a danger to them all.


End file.
